Cognitive Distortions
What distortion involves thinking in extremes, like “always” or “never”?
All-or-Nothing Thinking
What’s the 5-sense grounding technique that lists 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, etc.?
5-4-3-2-1 technique
What’s one question you can ask yourself to challenge a negative thought?
“What evidence do I have for and against this thought?”
Name one healthy distraction technique.
Listening to music, coloring, walking, calling a friend.
What does CBT stand for?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Believing something bad will happen even without evidence is what distortion?
Catastrophizing
Name a physical item someone might use for grounding.
Fidget toy, cold object, textured item, etc.
What’s the name of the tool used to record and challenge unhelpful thoughts?
Thought Record
What’s an emotional regulation strategy used in CBT?
Mindfulness – Staying present without judgment.
Deep Breathing – Activating the relaxation response.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Releasing physical tension to calm emotions.
Opposite Action – Doing the opposite of what an intense emotion urges
Mood Tracking – Identifying patterns and triggers in emotional ups and downs.
CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and what are connected?
Behaviors
What’s the name of the distortion where you blame yourself for things outside your control?
Personalization
Describe a grounding technique you can do with your hands.
Tapping, squeezing stress ball, holding ice, etc.
What’s a healthier alternative thought to “I’m weak for having PTSD”?
“I’m strong for surviving and working on healing.”
"PTSD is not a flaw in me; it’s a normal response to abnormal events."
"My symptoms are a response to trauma, not a sign of weakness."
What’s one coping skill that helps when you’re dissociating?
Sensory grounding, cold water, name 5 things you see.
What’s the first step in CBT when you feel overwhelmed?
Identify the thought or trigger
“They didn’t say hi — they must hate me.” What distortion is this?
Mind reading
What’s a phrase you could say to ground yourself in the present?
“I am safe now.” or “This is just a memory.”
How can you tell if a thought is based on fact or fear?
Check the evidence and ask if it’s realistic.
List two ways to calm your body after a trigger.
Breathing, grounding, stretching, etc.
What’s the term for a skewed pattern of thinking that leads to distress?
Cognitive Distortion
What distortion involves focusing only on the negative details and ignoring the positive?
Mental Filter
Explain how deep breathing helps with grounding.
Deep breathing slows your heart rate and reduces the stress response by activating the "rest and digest" system, focusing on your breath pulls your attention away from racing thoughts, creates a pause between stimulus and reaction, and improves oxygen flow to the brain, helping you think more clearly and feel more in control.
What are three steps to challenge a negative thought?
Identify it, check the evidence, reframe it.
What coping skill involves doing something even when you don’t feel like it?
Behavioral Activation
What does “ABC” stand for in CBT?
Activating Event, Belief, Consequence